Accounting, B.S.

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The Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree program from the College of Business is designed to provide students with the basic body of knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to enter the accounting profession (public, government, or business and industry).

Students planning to obtain the CPA certificate must complete 150 credit-hours and are encouraged to complete the coordinated 150 hour B.S. and M.S. in Accounting. See the relevant section of this catalog for more information on the Accounting, M.S. program.

Professional Licensure Disclosure:

Federal law requires GSU to disclose information related to the educational requirements for licensure and certification in U.S. state and jurisdictions.

The B.S. in Accounting at GSU meets the educational requirements to sit for the four sections of the CPA exam in the state of Illinois. Students may also need 150 total credit hours to sit for the exam. Additional information about the educational requirements as well as the licensure requirements after passing the CPA exam are available on the Illinois Board of Examiners website: https://www.ilboe.org/

GSU has not made determination for licensure in other states and jurisdictions. Please visit https://nasba.org/stateboards/ to find each state’s licensure requirements. Students should note that many states and jurisdictions may also require 150 total credit hours and work experience being licensed.

5-Year MSA Admission Requirements - Special Sequence for students enrolled in the GSU BS in Accounting:

Students enrolling in the Accounting, B.S. program with the long term goal of completing a Master of Science in Accounting (MAS), may consider enrolling in the 5-Year MSA track. Special Admision requirements for this track are listed in the Accounting, M.S. page of this catalog. Students interested in pursuing this track should meet with their Undergraduate Academic Advisor to assure that the program of study reflects this 5-Year MSA option.

Degree Requirements

Students must meet all university requirements for a bachelor’s degree.

Students must meet the collegial degree requirements listed at the beginning of this section.

General Education Courses (37-38 Hours)

See the Catalog Bachelor’s Degree Requirements for detailed information about the General Education Requirements for transfer students and students admitted as a freshman.

• Communications (9 credit hours)

  • Two courses in written communication (6)
  • One course in oral communication (3)

  Mathematics (3 credit hours)

  • MATH - 2100 Elementary Statistics (3) 

  Physical and Life Sciences (7 - 8 credit hours), including at least one laboratory course

  • One course from Life Sciences (3-4)
  • One course from Physical Sciences (3-4)

  Humanities (9 credit hours)

  • At least one course from humanities and at least one course from fine arts

  Social and Behavioral Sciences (9 credits)

• ECON - 2301 Principles of Microeconomics (3)
• ECON - 2302 Principles of Macroeconomics (3)
• One additional Social and Behavioral Science Course (3)

Business Core Courses (45 Hours)

All core courses for this major are offered as face-to-face and as online courses.  When scheduling classes, the “course type” column will indicate if the course is offered online for that term.

• ACCT - 2110 Financial Accounting (3)
• ACCT - 2111 Managerial Accounting (3)
• BLAW - 2100 Business Law I (3)
• BLAW - 3100 Business Law II (3)
• BUS - 3200 Business Communications (3)
• BUS - 3700 Business Statistics (3)
• FIN - 3110 Principles of Financial Management (3)
• MATH - 2109 Finite Mathematics (3)

• OR

• MATH - 2281 Applied Calculus (4)
• MGMT - 2100 Principles of Business Management (3)
• MGMT - 3099 Business Ethics and Social Responsibility (3)
• MGMT - 3500 Organizational Behavior (3)
• MGMT - 4600 Globalization of Business (3)
• MGMT - 4900 Strategic Management (3)
• MIS - 2101 Basics of Information Technology (3)
• MKTG - 2100 Introduction to Marketing Management (3)

Accounting Core Courses (18 Hours)

• ACCT - 3111 Cost Accounting I (3)
• ACCT - 3151 Intermediate Accounting I (3)
• ACCT - 3152 Intermediate Accounting II (3)
• ACCT - 3252 Accounting Information Systems (3)
• ACCT - 4251 Tax I (3)
• ACCT - 4354 Auditing I (3)

Accounting Selectives (9 Hours)

Select three of the following courses:

• ACCT - 4112 Cost Accounting II (3)
• ACCT - 4154 Advanced Accounting (3)
• ACCT - 4252 Tax II (3)
• ACCT - 4355 Auditing II (3)
• ACCT - 4461 Government and Nonprofit Accounting (3)
• ACCT - 4501 Fraud Examination (3)
• ACCT - 4805 Internship (3)

Electives (10-11 Hours)

Total - 120 Hours

NOTE: Students preparing for professional certifications should choose electives as follows:

• Certified Internal Auditor (C.I.A.) Examination - ACCT-4355 is recommended.
• Certified Management Accountant (C.M.A.) Examination - ACCT-4112, ECON-3404, and MGMT-3400 are recommended.
• Certified Public Accountant (C.P.A.) Examination - ACCT-4154, ACCT-4252, and ACCT-4355 are recommended.